Since the new Republican controlled Congress is sure to try to roll back abortion rights I thought it might be a good time to look at an unintended but positive result of Roe v. Wade. Professors JOHN J. DONOHUE III AND STEVEN D. LEVIT make a strong case for the hypothesis that the increased number of abortions that followed Roe (starting in 1973) were the primary cause of the declining crime rate of the 1990's.
http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/DonohueLevittTheImpactOfLegalized2001.pdf
Seems to me this is one more reason to just but out and leave reproductive decisions to women. Seems many women who know they're not going to be able to raise a child right are the ones choosing abortion. They're making reasonable rational decisions -- there's no reason for self-righteous Republicans to interfere.
http://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/DonohueLevittTheImpactOfLegalized2001.pdf
Seems to me this is one more reason to just but out and leave reproductive decisions to women. Seems many women who know they're not going to be able to raise a child right are the ones choosing abortion. They're making reasonable rational decisions -- there's no reason for self-righteous Republicans to interfere.
